Pokemon Mystery Dungeon - Soul of the Forgotten
by Subzero Dragon
Summary: Everyone wants different things out of life. Some want to be famous, some want power, some want riches...but that was not me. I only wanted a friend. What I got instead changed me forever.
1. Prelude

Sunset was my favorite time of day because I knew she would be there. I had been waiting here all day, with nobody but my own thoughts at my side. Then again, she was the only other psychic in our town. Not only that, she was also my best friend. She was the only one who didn't poke fun at me for being a male Kirlia. Today, I had made my decision.

I was going to do it. I'd confess what I'd known all my life; that I loved her.

Ever since I was a Ralts, and she a Misdreavus, we've been inseparable. Oh, the mischief and nonsense we got up to in our un-evolved days...ha, it brings a smile to my face every time. Sure, she was about six levels my elder, but I didn't care one bit. She was everything to me. Today, I was going to let her know just what she meant to me.

_Mismagius...where are you...?_

"So, you're here again, Kirlia."

My heart jumped at her voice. Spinning around, I turned to face her violet, ethereal form. It was Mismagius herself, and she was smiling at me warmly. She was wearing the necklace I made her for her birthday last week. It was a simple bauble with a polished Fire Stone as its centerpiece. I thought a Fire Stone would accent those jewels around her neck, and by Arceus, I was right. It made her gems sparkle faintly, even in the evening sun. Arceus, what a babe.

"Say something, already!"

"Yeep!" I blinked and shook my head.

_Great going, Krilia. Make her mad, that'll help for sure._

"I'm an idiot..."

_Oh crap! Did I just say that out loud? Pull it together, Kirlia..._

"What in Arceus' name are you going on about?" She tilted her head at me, looking my way with a faint expression of concern.

"Haha, it's nothing," I chuckled, scratching my head sheepishly, "Just watching the sunset."

"You don't have to lie around me." Mismagius drifted to my side, nestling herself up next to me, "You were lonely. That's why you were here, right?"

"Yeah. I like watching sunsets with you. It's my favorite time of day."

_Arceus, she's reading me like a book! Does she already know then...?_

"M-Mismagius?" I swallowed hard, steeling my nerve. It was now or never. "I...I..."

"What's the matter, Kirlia? I can feel you shaking. Need me to sing for you?"

I took a deep breath. This was it. "I-I-I-l-l-love-y-you..."

_Crap! Not again with the stuttering...!_

Mismagius froze up, meeting my eyes with those haunting, gold orbs of hers. "What was that?"

"I love you! I love you!" I blurted. Arceus, that felt so good to say out loud.

"Kirlia..." Mismagius closed her eyes, a smile slowly forming on her face.

_Sweet Arceus, she's blushing! I knew I shouldn't have said that..._

"Oh Kirlia..." She turned back to me. Now I could see her eyes welling up. Was she upset with me?! My heart sunk and I stared at the ground.

"I love you too."

My head shot up. I'm sure even Snorlax heard my squeal of joy as I leaped up and embraced my idol. Now, we could finally be together, as Arceus meant it to be.

*Brrrrrrk! Brrrk-rrrk! Rrrrrk-rrrrrk!*

I opened one eye sleepily. The straw roof of my home greeted my gaze as I blearily stretched out. It was morning; the sun was shining right through my open window. Yawning, I rubbed my face as my vision adjusted to the daylight. I knew that sound would probably be Doduo pecking my door again. She had to be the biggest worrywart I've ever seen, and I wondered what she wanted this time. I rolled out of the little pile of leaves that was my bed and onto my feet, plucking stray greenery out of my hair.

My mind drifted to that odd dream I just had. Me and Misdreavus were...lovers? We were evolved too. Some Pokémon believed that dreams could predict the future. As for me, I was sure it was just that: a dream. Me and Misdreavus? Ha, dreams can be so absurd sometimes... It wasn't that I disliked her: far from it. It just seemed like it wouldn't happen, not to _us_ anyways. Love wasn't big on my agenda at the time, and I saw her as more of a big sister than a girlfriend anyways.

"Come on in, Doduo. I'm up..." I called, stretching the sleep out of my arms.

Sure enough, it _was_ Doduo. She barely waited for my response before she charged into my house. The wood door slammed into the wall as Doduo headbutted it open with one of her heads. "Ralts! Thank Arceus..." the frantic bird squawked. Now that I could see her, I noticed that both of her faces showed an anxiety I never saw before. I mean, it was normal for Doduo to overreact, but this time I sensed true fear.

"I can feel it; you're scared. What happened?" I asked carefully, knowing full-well that it was probably nothing. Most likely, it was just that Durant stole her Pecha berries again.

"It's...ah, I can't bear to think about it!" Doduo shook one head in misery as the other started crying. I groaned, trying to remain forbearing with her. Sometimes, I wondered if she was deliberately trying my patience.

I don't hate her, don't misunderstand me. It was easy to forgive the poor bird, and Doduo had reasons for being so neurotic. She used to belong to a human, after all. Rumor around the village was that her trainer died, leaving Doduo all alone. Nobody could get the real story out of her though: she would just start crying if questioned. Misdreavus, Skitty, Pidgey, and I were pretty much the only ones she trusted, especially me and Pidgey for some reason.

Truth be told, I found the bigger bird kind of a pain in the butt. She _was_ kind to me when she wasn't blubbering, and that was pretty much the main reason I put up with her nonsense. Well, that and her emotions were so strong it made my horn itch. I swear, times like this were so annoying. My psychic power was all out of focus because of her freaking out, and I couldn't muster the control to read either of her minds.

"Doduo..." I sighed, rubbing my horn, "You know I can't help you if you don't say what's wrong."

"I...waaah!" Both of her heads begun bawling and squawking, "I can't find Pidgey!"

"Pidgey's gone?" Come to think of it, it _was_ odd. Doduo and Pidgey were rarely seen without the other. Pidgey was a cool bird, who never seemed to lose his head no matter how much Doduo cried. I think she idolized him a bit. As for Pidgey, he was usually the check to her antics. He always had a plan, and it was unusual for him to disappear, and even stranger that he didn't tell Doduo where he was going. He of all Pokémon knew better than that...

"You're sure he didn't leave a note or anything?" I asked.

"N-no, nothing! Aaagh, I bet he got eaten by a Liepard or something! Waaah! Pidgeeeeeey!" She was still crying her eyes out, both heads bawling pathetically. Honestly, I have no idea how she can keep it going without drying up like a wilted leaf.

"Calm down, Doduo," I coaxed, putting a hand on her side, "Let's go look for him, okay? I bet he's just out looking for breakfast or something."

"...I guess..." Suddenly she seemed to remember something. "Ooh, that reminds me," Doduo shifted her talking to her other head as her right head reached into her bag at her hip and pulled out a huge, fat Belue berry, "Here. It's your favorite, right? Eat up, Ralts~!"

I smiled at her, brushing my hair aside. She always liked giving berries to others. I guess it's her "Thanks, Doduo! I love these!" I happily gobbled up the proffered berry.

"What's going on in here, nya?"

I looked up from my meal and saw Skitty walking up from the path. He smirked at me playfully as he noticed me. "Heya, girl. Long time nya see." I gave him a sour look, narrowing my eyes at him from behind my bangs. I hate it when Pokémon call me "girl" or "lady". So what if I look like I'm wearing a skirt? I'm a male, and by Arceus I can't stand it when people tease me about that!

"Stuff it, cat," I grumbled with a mouthful of berry, "I'm not in the mood."

"Nya, you sourpuss," He mewled in a scolding tone, his little blue eyes narrowing teasingly, "you need to lighten up. Even Houndour knows how to take a joke."

"Yeah well, I'll consider that when your jokes start being funny." I retorted as I finished the treat and wiped my mouth off. "Look, have you seen Pidgey? Doduo's freaking out 'cause she hasn't seen him around all day."

"Please tell me you did!" Doduo squawked, "Oh, Pidgey...bwaaah!" Doduo's left head burst out into yet another round of crying.

I shrugged helplessly. "See what I mean?"

"Nya. Poor birdy..." Skitty nodded, his mischievous gleam returning. He shuffled over to the sobbing bird as she looked down at him with her right head. (The left one was still bawling uncontrollably. Seriously, how does she do that?) "Don't be so sad. I bet he just went out to enjoy the sun. It's a purr-fect day for a catnap."

"See? I bet he's fine," I tried my best to sound convinced, but I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Being a psychic, my inklings tend to be accurate, and that only made my melancholy worsen. I didn't _want_ anything bad to happen, but...

Her right head looked down at me, tears still welling in her eyes. Doduo nodded with both heads, sighing. "I know, but I can't stop worrying. What if...ack!" All four eyes widened and she shot bolt-upright. This was _never_ a good sign...

I swallowed hard and looked up at her, "Now Doduo, please-"

My appeal fell on deaf ears. One head chirped shrilly, making me cringe, "What if he got _caught_ by a _human_!? Waaaah, I can't take it anymore!" Before I could react with more than a flinch, Doduo bolted from my house, knocking Skitty onto his butt as the panicked Pokémon fled into the town plaza, calling Pidgey's name all the while.

"Nya!?" Skitty protested, rolling to his feet, "Wait, Doduo! Don't run off!" Skitty's plea went completely ignored by Doduo, and the cat shook his head. "Nya, she's gone...whiskers, what a pain!"

For once, I agreed with Skitty. Arceus only knows what that batty bird would get herself into. "Skitty, get help. I'll go after her."

Skitty was talking over his back as he ran out the door. "A purr-fect idea, Ralts! I'll find Samurott! He'll know what to do!"

"I don't care who you get, just find help!" My comment earned a glare out of the kitten as he bounded away into town. I, meanwhile, just couldn't shake my discomfort. This...was going to be one of those days. I just knew it.


	2. The Mysterious Forest

No sooner did I leave my house than I felt an odd, but familiar chill in the air. I looked up just in time to see a blue, ghostly shape charging me, screeching wildly. For a split-second, my senses pricked up and I prepared to counter. Luckily, I had enough of my wits to realize that fighting was unnecessary. I recognized my opponent. Instead of fighting, I just grinned and threw up a Reflect barrier. The surprised Pokémon tried to veer aside, but bounced off of my barrier anyway. Now that she was momentarily dazed, I could see that my suspicions were indeed right.

"Nice try, Misdreavus," I said to the stunned ghost.

"Yeow! Ralts, that hurt!" She protested, shaking her head.

I just chuckled. Misdreavus and I had quite a history of pulling pranks together. This wasn't the first time she'd tried to scare me with a screaming charge. Once, she tried to scare me and instead scared Skitty so bad that he wet himself. He still won't talk to her alone anymore.

Misdreavus sighed. "Well, since that was a bust...what's happening? I heard Doduo crying so I came to see what's wrong."

"Pidgey's missing," I replied, "Doduo says she can't find him anywhere. Skitty went to get Samurott for help."

"Pfft," Misdreavus tossed her head, grinning. "Like that overgrown walrus would know any better than the rest of us." Her face dropped slightly as she looked down at me. "Still, that's weird. Pidgey of all people wouldn't just run off..."

"Do you have any ideas where he might've gone?"

"Well..." She tilted her head, seeming to think for a while, "You know about the situation in the Lostleaf Woods, right?"

"What situation?"

She gave me a stern look. "Come on Ralts, you know. Or wait..." She flew around me, examining me from all angles and making me dizzy. "Don't tell me you've got amnesia again!"

I shook my head. She had every reason to be concerned though. I don't remember anything earlier than eight weeks ago. That day, Misdreavus, Skitty, and Pidgey found me unconscious in the middle of town. They took me to Samurott, who nursed me back to health. At least, that's what Misdreavus tells me. I have no idea, myself.

The first memory I have is of waking up on a cushion and asking where I was, only to immediately get an Aqua Tail from a very startled Samurott right to the face. (I didn't know he spooked so easily, a trait that Misdreavus and I often exploited later...) Nobody had seen me before, and nobody seemed to know me, which didn't help my case at all. After a week of searching for clues with no success, I eventually settled in at the edge of town in hopes that one day I'd remember something. Life has been pretty nondescript since then, with the exception of one major problem...

I still had no memories. I didn't even know if I had a trainer or not.

"Don't be silly, Misdreavus," I tried to brush the older Pokémon off, "I'm just not sure what you're talking about. What happened in the forest?"

"It's weird. People have been saying the strangest things. Things like the forest paths are changing."

I scratched my head. "Changing? That makes no sense."

Misdreavus' expression grew even more concerned, "Then this'll make even less sense: nobody's come back out in the past week!"

I stared in puzzled surprise. "Nobody?" She nodded. "That's a problem. If people are getting lost in there...wait a second!" I suddenly realized what she was getting at. "Do you think...?"

Misdreavus nodded once slowly. "You know, the forest didn't used to be like this. I mean, sure there's the occasional cranky Pokémon or two, but nothing we can't calm down. Come to think of it, the forest changed right after you showed up, Ralts."

I grinned mischievously and shrugged, "Who do I look like, Shaymin? I'm not even a grass-type you know..."

That made her laugh. "I know, I know. It's just a strange coincidence."

"There you two are!" I heard Skitty's voice come from some ways away.

I looked further down the path and saw Skitty, Doduo, and Samurott walking my way from the plaza. Skitty was bounding ahead, with Samurott behind him. Doduo was trailing behind Samurott, kicking at the dirt listlessly.

"I heard everything from Skitty," Samurott looked among us sternly, "Are you sure you know nothing?" I nodded, but the still suspicious Pokémon narrowed his eyes. "This isn't another of you and Misdreavus' crazy pranks is it?"

I balked at the suggestion. "Why in Arceus' name would we do something as cruel as that? Besides, since when has Pidgey ever went along with our plans?"

"This isn't a joke, Samurott," Misdreavus agreed, "I think I may know where he went..."

"Whiskers, Misdreavus," Skitty blurted, giving her an eager look, "tell us then!"

"The Lostleaf Forest, Skitty. I think he went in there."

"No!" Both of Doduo's heads cried, already tearing up again, "Not the forest!"

"Doduo, calm down!" Samurott nudged her with his horn, "Pull it together! Think about it; would Pidgey like to see you like that?" Doduo's only response was a sigh and a twitter of despair.

Misdreavus shook her head, drifting over to the bird, "It's going to be okay, Doduo. We'll find him, I promise."

"We?" Samurott's sharp eyes locked onto the Screech Pokémon, making her flinch slightly, "No."

"What do you mean?" I asked, "Are you saying we should just keep waiting for him?"

Samurott's intense gaze turned on me next. "That's not what I'm saying at all. What I'm saying is that there will be no 'we' in this. I'll take care of it." Samurott drew his right sword and started sharpening it on his left arm-shell, then repeating it with the left sword and his right arm-shell, "I need to find Pidgey and make him come back here. And I'll do it alone."

"Samurott! That's nuts! You'll get lost, nya!" Skitty's eyes went wide and the cat stared in shock at the elder Pokémon.

"Nonsense," he reassured calmly, "I know that forest like the back of my paw. If Pidgey is in there, then I'll find him, easy."

"Easy, huh?" I tilted my head. Something didn't feel fright at all about this whole situation. The fact that nobody had come out in a week was bad enough, but something about this felt off. I could feel it: this was a premonition, but what was it saying? That, I couldn't tell, at least, not yet.

"Are-are you really going alone, Samurott?" Doduo asked meekly, "At least take _me_ with you. I'm the oldest of us, besides you. I know how to fight too, so please!" She was looking at him with a pleading gaze, both heads looking like they were on the verge of tears.

"Doduo..." Samurott sighed, shaking his head, "No. You don't need to be-"

Doduo immediately started crying again. I could feel her frustration peak, and I took a step back. This was _not_ going to end well... She puffed her feathers and screamed, "You're a jerk, Samurott! Fine! I'll just find him myself then! Stupid!" Without another word, she bolted down the path, still sobbing loudly.

"Wait!" Samurott spun around, galloping after the upset bird. His efforts were completely in vain. Within mere moments, the big bird had far outrun him, already disappearing into the distance. Samurott stopped running and watched helplessly as she sped off in the direction of the Lostleaf Forest. It never failed to amaze me just how freaking _fast_ a bird as big as Doduo could run.

"Oh, whiskers!" Skitty sat down in exasperation, "She ran away _again_! Nya, what do we do about her...?"

Samurott growled slightly, turning back to face Misdreavus, Skitty, and me. His expression was one of irritation and alarm. "I'm going to follow her. She might do something rash in her state..."

"What about us?" Misdreavus asked, "I don't know about you guys, but I feel kinda responsible for her running away. If I hadn't mentioned the forest..." She sighed, hanging her head in guilty remorse.

Samurott gave her another glare. "Don't you dare run after her, Misdreavus. You need to leave it to someone with experience and a cool head."

"Nya, don't be like that." Skitty was frowning at Samurott, and I could tell he was starting to get upset too. "We can help!"

"But, Samurott has a point," Misdreavus replied sadly, "We're pretty inexperienced. If we aren't careful, we could end up in trouble too..." She lowered her head, staring at the dirt. I didn't need my psychic powers to see that she was taking this personally. I wondered why that would be; she wasn't his nanny. If anything, Pidgey was probably the most responsible one out of all of us, with the possible exception of Leavanny.

"I can't just sit on my tail and do nothing, Misdreavus," Skitty had a rare serious look on his face as he looked at me with his best begging face, "Come on, Ralts. Back me up here."

I sighed, rubbing my horn. Both Skitty and Samurott were right. Doduo was the type of Pokémon who was always a bit reckless, especially when she was upset. I might have found her crying kind of annoying, but I was with Skitty on this one. I turned to Samurott, who was staring at me with a flat expression. "I'm sorry, Samurott... I have to agree with Skitty this time."

He simply glared at me for a bit, as if judging my reaction. Then, he shook his head, still giving me that piercing stare as his face darkened. "Ralts, are you sure about this? Think carefully before you answer me..."

I swallowed hard, but stood my ground. Before I could respond, Misdreavus flew in front of me, positioning herself between us."What kind of a question is that? She's our friend. Isn't that reason enough for you?"

"You too, Misdreavus?" Samurott was visibly angry now, and he snorted as he turned his glare on her next. Samurott said nothing else for several long moments as he slowly stared between us. Misdreavus and Skitty both shifted uncomfortably, but I could tell he was mostly faking his anger. In truth, he was worried for us.

I took the opportunity to speak up, "Samurott, don't be unreasonable. All of us together can do so much more than any one Pokémon can. Besides, you know Doduo is just gonna run away again if you chase her down by yourself."

Samurott sighed. "I see there's no talking you out of it." He turned and began walking off towards the forest, "Then you three must listen to me exactly, is that clear? I won't hesitate to report you all to Madame Charizard if you step out of line."

"Nya?! Anything but that!" Skitty mewed, his little eyes wide in worry, "Please don't tell Charizard! We'll behave...right?" Misdreavus and I nodded without hesitation.

"Did you just use me as a threat, Samurott?!"

All four of us flinched at the familiar voice. I could feel the distinct, sizzling anger of none other than Charizard herself! I stopped in my tracks and turned around. Sure enough, there she was, paws crossed and smoke trailing out of her nostrils. Her tail-flame was blazing more than usual, a clear sign of her bad mood...

Charizard was our town's leader, but she had a reputation of being a bit foul-tempered. Everybody in town knew not to cheese her off if you valued your hide. Still, she _was_ our leader, and we had little choice but to simply learn not to get on her bad side. Charizard wasn't a cruel sort, don't misunderstand, just moody. Though she could come across as blunt and crass, behind the gruff attitude was one of the most loyal Pokémon I've ever known. (At least, as far as I remember...) I was told that's part of how she became leader for three years straight. That, and nobody had the guts to challenge her.

"Misdreavus, Ralts, Skitty, you three can stop your pathetic cringing," Charizard growled, "I'm talking to Samurott here."

Samurott shuffled his feet. "I'm sorry, Madame Charizard. That was kind of rude of me."

"If you understand, then don't make such stupid threats, got it?!" She retorted through a small cloud of fire.

Samurott winced again, lowering his head and breaking eye contact. "I said I'm sorry! Don't get so angry...!"

"You still haven't got a clue, do you?" Charizard snorted smoke. "Moron."

"Uh, Madame Charizard?" Skitty mewled quietly, "I don't wanna sound rude, but we're in a hurry. Doduo ran off into the forest, looking for Pidgey."

"Doduo ran away?" Charizard scoffed, "How dumb. Why would she do something so reckless?!"

"That's probably my fault," Misdreavus hung her head, "Nobody's seen Pidgey since last night. I mentioned that maybe he was in Lostleaf Forest. I think Doduo got just a little carried away with the idea."

"You are _all_ idiots!" Charizard shook her head, "You know that forest is off limits until we can figure out why everyone keeps going missing!"

I wanted to say something, but I also didn't want the business end of her Flamethrower. Skitty wasn't so careful. "Madame Charizard, if we don't tail her, she'll _really_ get ahead of us. We can't be waiting around, nya!"

"Are you four suicidal or something?" Charizard folded her arms, "If you don't prepare for the unexpected, you'll end up disappearing like the others."

"It's that bad?" I asked. Charizard gave me the nastiest glare I've seen yet out of her. I swallowed hard, but I didn't back down. I learned the hard way once that there's few things that make her angrier faster than a "coward".

She leaned down, craning her head to eye-level with me, her blazing glare unrelenting."Of course it is," she said calmly. I was genuinely surprised. She was taking it better than I initially thought, thankfully. "We've lost nine people, Ralts. I don't want it to be up to thirteen because you dimwits didn't think it through."

"Then what do you want us to do?" Misdreavus asked.

"What do I want, you ask." Charizard smiled a little, "Isn't it obvious? I want to escort you. Surely _I_ of all Pokémon won't get lost. I can just fly around to get my bearings. I'm a natural pathfinder."

"That's...kind of sudden." Skitty's careless commentary earned him one of Charizard's glares again. "Nya!? Oh whiskers, that wasn't what I meant to say! I-I meant to say 'It's an honor to have you with us.'"

"That's what I thought. Now, shall we? You were the ones in such a hurry for Mew's sake!" Charizard stretched her wings. With a graceful jump, she took to the air, leaving the rest of us to follow her out of town and into the forest.


	3. Finding Pidgey

"I wonder if those rumors are really true, nya." Skitty mewed as the four of us followed Charizard to the entrance of Lostleaf Forest. "I mean, _I_ don't think it's true, but what if we get lost?"

"I doubt that'll happen, Skitty." Misdreavus replied confidently. I could tell that she wasn't at all as confident as she claimed. I didn't need my psychic power to see that. She kept glancing about warily, as if expecting an ambush or something.

"You two have nothing to be so worried about," Samurott reassured, "With Madame Charizard and me with you, it's only a matter of time."

Charizard glided down and landed in front of us. "Alright kids, here we are. Lostleaf Forest." She gestured off into the trees."I want you four to stay close, got it? I won't tolerate straying."

I nodded once in agreement. "Of course, Madame Charizard. I know better than that."

"Good. If we're done here, let's go." If she was even a little scared, Charizard didn't show it. Her confidence was inspiring, actually. As we entered the forest, I immediately noticed a change in the atmosphere here. Though the scenery was normal enough, my senses were on alert. I could sense a distinct spitefulness in the air, as if someone was watching us...

"Ralts, Do you feel that?" Misdreavus asked. "It feels really hostile here."

I nodded again. "Yeah. It's kinda creepy."

"Hey guys? Check this out! They're in the clearing right here. I smell them ahead!" Skitty bounded ahead, ignoring Charizard's disdainful glare.

"Idiot child." She snorted.

Samurott sighed, putting a paw to his forehead. "Skitty, what did we just discuss about running off?"

Skitty completely ignored Samurott and Charizard's scolding. "Nya! Doduo, Pidgey!"

As I caught up to him, I saw a big meadow in the forest. Pidgey was at the edge of the clearing, scratching at the ground. Doduo was standing nearby, giving us a displeased look.

"I didn't need your help." She said grumpily. I could tell she was definitely faking being mad. Anyone could tell she was actually upset at us.

"Doduo, you insufferable dummy!" Charizard wasn't nearly as restrained, "Your foolhardy behavior could've gotten you hurt! You have no right to be mad at _us, _idiot!"

"Is it just me or is Pidgey not even paying attention?" Samurott asked, tilting his head at the bird. "This _is_ Pidgey, right?"

"Of course it is!" Doduo blurted, "I'm positive!"

"Pidgey? Hey, Pidgey!" Misdreavus called. The bird stopped foraging and looked over his shoulder at us. The expression on his face was cold and malicious. He didn't seem to recognize us at all, squawking and turning to us with his feathers fluffed up. I blinked and took a step back at the bizarre sight. This was definitely Pidgey, so why was he acting like that?

"P-Pidgey?" Doduo said meekly, walking right up to him, "Are you okay?" She leaned down with both heads to get on eye-level with the smaller bird. Pidgey still didn't speak. Instead, he flared his wings and pecked Doduo's right head. Doduo yelped in surprise and stumbled back several steps. He had just attacked her, completely at random. Staring at him with one head, she craned the other behind her back and looked back at us. She seemed just as confused as the rest of us. I couldn't blame her for being so surprised. I was puzzled too.

She turned back to Pidgey again. "Pidgey..." Her voice wavered and she seemed on the verge of crying again. "Don't you recognize me?"

"Doduo, get back here!" Samurott called, "Something's wrong with him!" Before she could react, I saw Pidgey flare his wings in preparation for a second attack. Instinctively, I threw up a Reflect barrier as I ran to her. Pidgey's Gust attack partially bounced off of my barrier, still managing to damage both of us a bit.

"Ow! Pidgey, that hurts!" I protested, "Cut that out!" Pidgey stared my way, puffing his feathers again. I braced for his next attack, returning his glare. Was it just me, or did his attacks seem much stronger than usual? I'm not as strong as Madame Charizard, but I can hold my own against my peers for the most part. Pidgey's attack shouldn't have been _this_ strong...

"Nya!? Pidgey, no!" Skitty pleaded as he ran up to Pidgey next, "This is no time for a-MEOW!" Skitty's plea was cut short as Pidgey spun around and bit him on the tail. Skitty whirled and yanked his tail free, leaving Pidgey with a tuft of his fur in his beak. "Whiskers, Pidgey! What's gotten into you?!"

"Pidgey, knock it off!" Charizard narrowed her eyes and growled, "Don't make me force this..." Pidgey turned on her next, flying at her full-speed in a Tackle. Charizard easily dodged him by ducking, then countered by slapping him with her tail. This flung Pidgey into a bush with a squawk.

"What's the matter with you, stupid!" She roared through a cloud of fire, "Want me to kick your pathetic little butt!? I'll _really_ thrash you if you don't stop this nonsense right now!" Pidgey's only response was to take wing, twittering nonsensically at us all the while.

"Samurott, protect our back ranks! Everyone else, fall back! Let me handle this." Charizard ordered, "There's no way I can lose to some rookie like Pidgey."

"NOOOO!" Doduo screamed with both heads, "EVERYONE STOP IT!"

Samurott drew his left sword reluctantly. "He isn't listening to a word we're saying, Doduo! We have no choice but to defend ourselves!"

"B-but-?"

"He isn't thinking rationally at all!" I agreed, "Something's driven him wild!"

"Then maybe a good whupping will teach this idiot some respect!" Charizard glanced our way for a moment. To my pleasant surprise, she didn't seem terribly eager to fight. None of us were. This was our good friend for Mew's sake! He was acting like a total maniac! Pidgey was always such a calm and level-headed Pokémon, so why was he doing this? It made no sense! Maybe the answer was in Pidgey's mind. I took the chance to try reading him. What I read surprised me further. Anger. Anger and aggression... His thoughts were chaotic and completely irrational. And why was he so furious?

"Watch out! He's going to attack again!" Misdreavus warned.

I had no time to read him further. Pidgey suddenly cut me off, flapping his wings harder and blowing another Gust straight at Doduo. She couldn't react in time and took the hit full-force. His wind tore at her like knives as she tried to defend herself. Doduo wavered on her feet and collapsed, unable to take anymore.

"Doduo!" Misdreavus cried, flying over to her side, "Doduo, are you alright!?" Doduo didn't reply: she was out cold.

Charizard's tail blazed blue, and I backed away nervously. She was seriously mad now... Charizard growled again, and embers shot out of her nostrils as she spoke. "You'll pay for this...DEARLY!" She roared the last word through a Flamethrower. It was a direct hit, knocking Pidgey against a tree. He fell to the ground, overwhelmed by Madame Charizard's massive attack.

She strode over to him, looming over the fallen Pokémon."Ha! Feel like apologizing? Maybe I'll let you off easy if I like how you say it." She got no response from him, as he was unconscious.

"Madame Charizard, please stop it! The battle's over!" Samurott stepped between Pidgey and Charizard. "I don't think it's necessary to-"

"Can it, Samurott!" She barked. "He was attacking us completely unprovoked! His punishment was swift, but appropriate. _You_ stop!"

"Nya..." Skitty mewed pitifully, glancing between Pidgey and Doduo. He was sitting on his haunches, licking the bald patch on his tail where Pidgey had pulled out his fur. "This is horrible. Why did it have to come to this...?"

"We won, but it doesn't feel like a win at all..." I sighed. Ignoring the escalating fight between the still bickering Pokémon, I turned and scouted for any other danger. I saw no enemies, but Misdreavus was flitting about the meadow, as if looking for something.

"Is something wrong, Misdreavus?" I asked her.

"'Is something wrong,' he asks..." Misdreavus sighed, "Of course something's wrong, Ralts! Pidgey was going berserk just now. I was checking if there was any obvious reason for him to do that."

"Well, did you find anything?"

Misdreavus paused at the far end of the meadow. "The only thing I found of note was this thing back there..." She gestured down the path with her head. A strange crystal was sitting in the middle of a second clearing. The big, glass-like thing was sitting in a circle of smaller crystals. Curiosity piqued, I approached the circle. As I came close to the edge of the circle, I saw a strange light forming in the center of the crystal in the middle. Alarmed, I backed away from it, and the glow immediately subsided. I couldn't say why, but that sight... it scared me. This also felt familiar somehow. I racked my brain, trying to recall. I still couldn't figure out why though. All I could be sure of was that I'd seen this before somewhere...

"Ralts! Get away from that!" Misdreavus flew in front of me, blocking my way. "I sense something powerful in there..."

"...I... recognize this," I said as I tried to piece my thoughts together, "I've seen this before somewhere..."

"Do you remember something, Ralts? Is your memory coming back?" Misdreavus' expression changed from worry to an encouraging smile.

I shook my head. "Not really. I just know I've seen this before..."

Her smile faded. "Oh. I'm sorry. I was hoping for a little much there. At any rate, I don't think we should go near that. When you started coming towards that crystal, I sensed something strong. I'm sure you sensed that too."

"What are you two doing?!" Charizard roared, "Get your butts back here, right now!"

I flinched at her shout. "Yikes. We better get back to the others before we get on her nerves."

Misdreavus nodded. "Yeah. We better get Doduo and Pidgey back to town. Maybe Pidgey will come to his senses when he wakes up."

"I hope you're right, Misdreavus." I walked off towards the bigger clearing, rejoining the others. That feeling the crystal gave me though... I couldn't shake it. I looked one more time over my shoulder in the direction of the crystal. As I did, I got another powerful impression of fear. Was this thing related to my memories somehow? Why was this familiar? And why did this bring me such a feeling of dread? I had to find out the truth somehow.

First things first, we had to get out of this place and get Doduo and Pidgey some help.


	4. Trapped?

_**Chapter 4: Trapped?**_

Two hours had passed without much talking. It was slow progress. Not that any of us were complaining. Madame Charizard was in the lead, carrying Pidgey. Misdreavus kept flitting here and there warily, taking care not to overtake Charizard. I can't say I blamed her for being skittish. Skitty and I were close behind, while Samurott was in the rear with Doduo on his back.

"How much longer, nya?" Skitty meowed, "Wasn't the entrance over here? I'm tired and my stomach hurts!"

"I don't want to hear it, cat!" Charizard barked, shifting Pidgey's weight across her back, "_You're_ not the one carrying a Pokémon! This bird's heavy!"

"Easy for _you_ to say..." I heard Samurott mutter under his breath. If anyone else heard him, they didn't respond, though I was tempted to say something snarky in reply.

"But I'm _hungry_!" Skitty protested loudly, "Right now's supposed to be snack time! Whiskers, why didn't I bring any food...?"

"Calm down, Skitty," I reassured him, "I'm sure it's not much further."

"But that's what you said fifteen minutes ago..." Skitty was dragging his feet and tail by now, looking rather miserable. His pace was slowing, and he soon fell behind me and Samurott. "Nya... I'm ready for a break... Can I take a little catnap?"

Misdreavus gave Skitty a look. "This is no time for a nap, Skitty. Hang in there. We didn't go far in, so the entrance has to be just ahead."

"But I'm so hungry..." Skitty meowed again. "And this trip's going on _forever_! Nya, what a pain in the tail..."

"Skitty, you mean to tell me you didn't bring your own food? Especially knowing that we may be here for a while?" Samurott stopped, setting Doduo down against a tree. "You amaze me."

"I didn't bring food... because I wasn't... hungry... nya." Skitty flopped down, laying his head between his paws. "And now I'm... sleepy..."

"Skitty..." I paused, turning over a shoulder at him with a sigh. He was whining quite a bit, but I could tell he wasn't just complaining. He looked like he was about to pass out. The silly kitten must have forgotten to eat breakfast, what with all the ruckus this morning. I wondered how such a scatterbrained cat managed to even remember his own name sometimes.

"You stupid kid. And you _wonder_ why I have to protect fools like you." Charizard snorted smoke again. Skitty meowed again, causing Charizard to shoot him a glare. She then turned to Samurott. "Shut him up. I can't stand his whining!"

"Let me check my supplies, Madame Charizard..." Samurott started searching through one of his bags at his side. "I should have a Berry or two in here..."

"I don't care what you do, just get him to quit that complaining!" Following Samurott's example, she put Pidgey down next to Doduo and stretched her wings. "This is taking way too long. I'm going to get my bearings. Don't do anything dumb." At that last word, she jumped into the air and took flight, soon disappearing above the canopy.

Samurott approached the whimpering cat and nudged him with his horn, making Skitty look up at him with a meow."You're in luck, Skitty. I have a few Berries. They were _supposed_ to be for emergencies, but..."

Skitty raised his head, smiling slightly. "Thanks, Samurott."

"Think nothing of it. I'm here to look out for you kids, remember? Samurott reached into a bag at his hip, pulling out an Oran Berry and holding it out to Skitty. "Here you go. This should help you get your strength back."

"Nya, an Oran Berry?! I love these!" Skitty beamed, happily taking the berry in his forepaws and chowing down eagerly with sudden gusto.

"You say that about all food. You even said that that one time Misdreavus tricked you into licking a Tamato Berry." Samurott replied.

"But those are so spicy... I couldn't have said that." Skitty looked over to me, still holding the half-eaten Berry. "Right, Ralts?"

I pretended to have been distracted looking after Doduo and Pidgey. "Hm? I didn't hear you. What did you say?"

Skitty lowered his ears. "Oh, never mind." He shook his head, returning to the Berry.

I looked back to Doduo and Pidgey as my mind drifted to the fight between us and Pidgey earlier. Neither of them looked seriously hurt, but I still felt guilty. I knew I did was only protecting myself, but it didn't feel like it was justified. Somehow, Pidgey had become so strong that he completely overwhelmed Doduo. She was among the older Pokémon in the village, easily twice my own level. Pidgey was four levels my junior, and I should've been able to hold my own. But even my Reflect had little effect on his Gust. What in Arceus' name could've made him so strong? Was this related to his memory loss? A horrible thought crossed my mind just then.

What if the cause was in this forest? Were _we_ next?

I shook my head. There was little point in considering things like that when all I had to go on was a wild guess. Well, that and the premonition I've been having all day. Still...

"Ow..."

"You okay, Ralts?" Misdreavus asked, drifting over to me, "Is it another headache or-?"

"That was... me." I turned back around to face the birds. Pidgey had opened his eyes and was looking around in a pained daze.

"Pidgey!" Skitty trotted over to Pidgey, giving him a big lick on the forehead, "Thank Arceus you're up!"

Pidgey rolled to his feet, looking around with an increasingly confused look spreading across his face. "Is this the Lostleaf Forest? What am I doing _here_?"

Samurott walked over to his side, eyeing him warily. "Pidgey, are you back with us here? You don't still want to fight us or anything, do you?"

Pidgey's puzzled expression intensified. "Fight?" He shook his head, ruffling his crest, "Now why would I want to fight my friends? That's crazy." His eyes narrowed slightly. "And what did you mean by 'still'?"

I bit my lip. Pidgey clearly didn't remember going mad-Mankey on us. "You picked a fight with all of us. Doduo tried to get you to stop, but... she..." I gestured over to where Doduo was still laying with my head, letting my words trail off.

Pidgey's crest went straight up on end and his beak dropped open when he followed my gaze. "Doduo! What happened to her?!"

"_You_ happened, that's what." I looked up at the familiar voice of Madame Charizard from above as she glided back into the clearing. "You did that."

Pidgey shook his head. "No! I couldn't have done that! She's way stronger than I am. She'd kick my tail six-ways to Sunday if I even tried."

Samurott looked sternly at Pidgey. "So you say. Do you really remember nothing about earlier?"

Pidgey puffed his feathers out in indignation, "What's with these accusations!? I don't like being treated like I'm some kind of criminal!" He looked to Misdreavus, Skitty, and me. "C'mon, guys! Don't _you_ believe me...?""

"I don't think he's making any of this up." Misdreavus commented, "That's not like him."

"Neither was what he did earlier." Samurott added meaningfully. "He just about bit poor Skitty's tail off."

Skitty frowned, tucking the bald patch on his tail under him. "Whiskers, Samurott. Don't bring that up anymore. I don't wanna keep talking about Pidgey fighting us. Besides, we have to get back to the village, nya. I don't wanna miss breakfast _and _lunch!"

"About that." Charizard cut in, looking grumpier than usual. She sighed out a cloud of smoke and continued, "We have a problem. The forest paths have completely changed! I... can't get my bearings. The canopy's foo thick for me to fly as far as I wanted. I can't believe I got lost in this forest when I said that _wouldn't_ happen!" She snorted embers out her nose, underscoring her obvious annoyance further. "How stupid! Nothing about this place makes sense."

Skitty flattened his ears and sat down on his rump with a mew of frustration. "I knew it, nya! We're _lost! _Whiskers..."

Pidgey looked to me again. "Ralts. Please tell me what happened to you guys. Why is everyone so upset?" He cast a glance at us, noting our wary looks, "I'm so ashamed, everyone. I don't remember fighting, and I don't want to believe that I hurt Doduo like that, but I'm sorry all the same."

I sighed, rubbing my horn. I didn't want to believe it any more than Pidgey did, but I could understand where he was coming from. Losing your memories, even just one part, isn't a good feeling. It's like a void that nobody can fill no matter what they try. I could tell Pidgey was feeling just like that right now. I decided the lesser of the evils was to let him know the truth, even if it was hard. "I know you probably don't want to hear this, but Charizard and Samurott were right. You were fighting us, and fighting hard. We were hoping you'd remember why when you woke up."

"Now that's nonsense." Pidgey shook his feathers again. "Why in Arceus' name would I fight like that against all of you? First thing, you are my friends, and friends don't fight like that for no reason. Second, you alone are a match for me, never mind Doduo and the others. Third, if I _did_ fight you all, how'd I knock out Doduo? She's almost as strong as Samurott and Madame Charizard are..."

"He doesn't remember a thing." Charizard shook her head, smirking flippantly, "How about that burn on your back? Does _it_ remind you of anything?"

"Actually..." He craned his head over his back, grooming the burnt patch where Charizard had torched him, "I was wondering how that happened too, but I think I can make a good guess." He looked back over himself at her suspiciously. "It was during that 'fight' wasn't it."

I had an idea. If I shared a vision with him, maybe he'd believe that. "Do you want me to give you my vision of the battle, Pidgey? I can tell you what I experienced from my end."

Pidgey nodded, hopping over to me. "Just tell me what to do. This is my first time doing... whatever this is."

Actually, it wasn't. I've done this when Misdreavus and my pranks went wrong sometimes. Visions can't lie or be exaggerated, after all. I began to wonder just how much memory loss Pidgey had. "Is it okay if I read your mind too? I'm worried about your amnesia."

Pidgey nodded again, bowing his head. "Go right ahead. Just be gentle in there, okay? My head is still buzzing a little..."

I nodded back, now more concerned than ever. Pidgey _never_ let me look in his mind so willingly before. He used to tell me that reading minds without warning was violating their owners' privacy and to never do that without permission. I respected his wishes, and avoided reading his mind when I could help it. That's why his unflinching consent was such a bizarre thing.

He had to have seen the surprised look on my face and took one more step closer, putting his face inches from mine. "Ralts, promise me that whatever you find stays between us," he said in a low voice, "I want your word."

I let out the breath I was holding. Now _that_ was more like Pidgey. Maybe the damage wasn't as bad as I'd feared. There was only one way to be sure. I nodded my agreement and smiled at my friend. "Of course, Pidgey. If I find out why you went crazy, I will need to share that. Is that much okay with you?"

Pidgey gave me a funny look. "You keep saying those things about me when I don't know anything about this. You're psychic, so please, tell me what you learn without talking. Then we'll figure it out."

This was getting weird again. Why was he waffling like that? Then again, maybe he was just embarrassed to be letting me in. Before I could begin reading into Pidgey's mind, a blow from behind startled me and made me tumble head-first into the grass. I hit my head on a rock, and spots swam in front of my eyes as I cried out in pain and surprise.

"What's your problem!" I spat past a mouthful of dirt, "That _hurts, _you jerk!" I glared angrily over my back, searching for who sucker-punched me. "Own up! Who...?" To my horrified astonishment, it wasn't a forest resident.

"No way...!" I blurted in shock, my eyes widening at my unexpected opponent.

It was Samurott.

I immediately tried to read Samurott's mind, but was taken aback by that look from Samurott. His normally calm face was now split by a feral snarl and a seething glower in his eyes. It was a fearsome, predatory stare, like the kind a Liepard might give the Ratatta it was about to eat. No, on second thought, this was worse than that. It was a seething glare of pure _hatred. _He looked even angrier than that time Misdreavus and I pranked him with Confusion and made him chase his own tail in the village plaza for an entire half-hour.

He had reared up on his haunches and drawn one of his swords, holding it with both paws in a powerful grip. I must've only gotten swatted with the flat part, as I didn't notice any cuts to my back. He _did_ bruise me up pretty good though, and I was feeling a bit dizzy from when I hit my head on the ground. I probably wouldn't be able to lay down for a week after _that_ sword-spanking, and I'd probably have a Swanna-egg on my forehead to show for that face-plant.

Of course, that was all assuming I'd survive this. Pidgey gave us all a serious roughing, and he was my _junior!_ Arceus only knows what Samurott was capable of, fighting insanely like this! Plus, Doduo was still unconscious. I had to make sure she didn't get caught in the crossfire. But the thought of having to confront Samurott's rage was making my knees wobble and my concentration waver. Or, perhaps that was simply my weariness and injuries showing. I was starting to feel weaker by the moment...

"Ralts!" Misdreavus called to me as she rushed to my side, "Are you alright?!"

I stumbled, nearly falling and just barely steadied myself as she leaned into me and propped me up. "Not... feeling so good..."

"Samurott!" Charizard's tail-flame blazed blue again, and she spat her words through even more fire, "Explain! NOW!" His reply was to spin about and slam a brutal Aqua Tail into her front, knocking our leader onto her side. This earned a roar of anger and pain from her as she scrambled to her feet.

Skitty's response was to shriek and cover his eyes. "Yeek! Nya more! Stop it, _stop it,_ _STOP IT_!"

Pidgey, who had been staring with his beak wide open the entire attack finally snapped to his senses. "What in Mew's name is _wrong_ with you?! Samurott, old pal you can't do this! Cut that out already!"

Samurott's answer was a snarl, baring his fangs at us. He suddenly ran at me again, his sword bared for a strike. I threw up another Reflect to protect myself, but Samurott changed tactics mid-attack. He suddenly charged low, spraying me with a surprise Aqua Jet. His ambush hit me point-blank in the face, and I fell backwards to the ground. My vision was darkening around me, and I had no more energy to even stand. I knew I'd been bested, so I simply laid there, hoping my surrender would somehow calm Samurott down.

"Ralts!" I heard Misdreavus call out to me again, "Get up! C'mon, hang in there!"

"That does it. You are _mine_, Samurott!" I was dimly aware of Charizard's voice from somewhere nearby, an angry, menacing growl that I'd only heard her use once before, "You have no clue what a _thrashing_ I'm gonna give you for that!"


End file.
